War Memorials and Rolls of Honour In The Cheltenham Area

"And to us who are left to mourn their departure grant that we may not sorrow as those without hope for our beloved who sleep in thee. But that always remembering their courage and the love that united us on earth, we may begin with new courage to serve thee more fervently, and that when we have passed a few more days in this valley of tears we may see them again face to face in those pastures where we trust they already walk with thee." Inscriptions on the Salperton War Memorial, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Welcome

Thank you for visiting this site, and welcome! The information presented on this site has in the main been obtained from the public domain and is therefore freely available to all who wish to copy material from it (less some images - see below). The authors are solely responsible for its content and the site is totally independent of any governmental organisation or private institution. Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented on this site, which should be considered as a living document since information is constantly being expanded and updated.

Some of the 1,100 images used on this site are owned and are copyright of others. Where necessary, permission has been sought for these images to be published on this site, and acknowledgement of that permission has been recorded on the Acknowledgements page. Where it has proved difficult to determine rightful ownership and provenance of an image used on the site, it is possible that copyright has been unintentionally and unknowingly infringed and for this we sincerely apologise. Owners are respectfully requested to contact either Jimmy or Dave and immediate action will be taken to either remove the image or indicate and acknowledge its rightful owner.

Purpose of the Site

The purpose of this website is twofold. It is to list all War Memorials and Rolls of Honour in the Cheltenham and surrounding area and to commemorate those of the area who gave their lives in the Great War.

Site Administration

"Leaving Cheltenham" has been created using Microsoft FrontPage, launched on 1st June 2001 and last updated on Wednesday 14th May 2008. The website is complete with the planned 450 core pages posted to the site. Pages are being regularly updated when additional facts and other information come to hand. Other new pages are being continually added to the site and all pages are regularly reviewed to obtain conformity and attain factual completion.

Continuation of Research

Dave continues the search for commemorations on family graves within local cemeteries; once found they are posted to the site as well as the results of visits to other cemeteries in the UK in which Cheltonians lay. Photographs of headstones located within CWGC cemeteries overseas are being regularly sought through the Great War Forum and other sources.

Site Authors

The site authors are Dave and Jimmy James, born and bred in Cheltenham, both ex Army, whose contact details are:

Jimmy: jimmy@remembering.org.uk

Dave: davand@anddav.fsnet.co.uk

Members of the charity "The War Memorials Trust" - formerly the Friends of War Memorials and eager recipients of any information regarding Cheltenham in the Great War. Dave, on the left in the photo, and Jimmy are standing at the Cross of Sacrifice in Cheltenham Cemetery, and are discussing one of the many Cheltonians who gave their lives in the Great War. Their great uncle, Charles Herbert William Pearce, was killed in action in Mesopotamia on 10th February 1917 serving with 7th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. Jimmy has retired to Caithness whilst Dave resides in the Cheltenham area.

Navigation

Click on the appropriate heading at the foot of this page, or within the text of this page, to gain access to the page you want to view. A comprehensive site map can be seen here, to assist in navigating around the site.

Training in Cheltenham ................. Members of the 10th Battalion the Gloucestershire Regiment "The Fighting Tenth", pose for a photograph during training near Battalion HQ in the Lansdown Crescent area of Cheltenham.

We acknowledge and are most grateful to Mr John Dowling of Brisbane, Australia, who very kindly provided the photo and permitted its use on this website.

Leaving Cheltenham ................. Members of the 10th Battalion the Gloucestershire Regiment on the platform of Cheltenham LMS Railway Station with their families on 3rd August 1915. They are leaving Cheltenham, and all that was dear. Their first time in action would be on 25th September 1915, the first day of the Battle of Loos, when most of the battalion would lose their lives.

"Remember the men of Cheltenham who gave their lives for you in the Great War of 1914 - 1919. If they were strangers to one another here in their common home, they served and wrought and died in many lands near and far as a Band of Brothers. Learn from them so to live and die that, when you have followed them and are no more seen, you may, like them, be remembered and regretted"

The inscription on the front panel of the Cheltenham War Memorial.

Aim of the Website

The aim of the website is simple. Whilst we do not wish to justify or glorify war we do feel that we need to remember the 1611 native and adopted souls of Cheltenham and surrounding areas who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War and who are listed on War Memorials and Rolls of Honour in the area. To quote from the book Leaving All That Was Dear - "The memorials were erected by a grateful community to perpetuate the memory of "the fallen" and the sacrifice made not only by them, but also by the families they left behind. In the past, the memory of those men lived on in the hearts and minds of their relatives and friends. We believe that the time has now come for this to be recorded, for the sake of posterity"

Cheltonians served and died for their country on land, in and on the sea and in the air. To complement the Roll of Honour a separate part of this website is devoted to the ships, regiments, corps and air squadrons in which Cheltonians were serving when they were killed in action , or died of wounds, of illness or accidentally killed, and this can be viewed here.

Cemeteries and Memorials

The Great War is a part of our national heritage and it is right and proper that future generations should always remember those who paid the ultimate price. "As we now are, so once they were; as they now are, so must we be. Let us remember them all, not with bravado or bombast, but with the respect that their sacrifice demands". Rupert Brooke wrote: "If I should die, think only this of me, that there's some corner of a foreign field, that is forever England". The sons of Cheltenham lie scattered around the globe, mostly in North West Europe: actual cemeteries and locations can be found here. Those who have no known grave and are listed on Memorials To The Missing in the area in which they were killed or died are listed here.

Family Tragedies

No-one who has ever visited war cemeteries can fail to be moved by the row upon row of white headstones laid out in such beautifully maintained cemeteries. Each headstone represents a personal tragedy, but collectively, they represent a generation of men, each of whom 'answered the call'. Every headstone marks the final resting place of someone's husband, father, brother or son and, in one or two cases, a daughter or sister. Many families, over 100 in Cheltenham, were devastated by the loss of 2 or more family members and these Cheltonian families are listed here.

Development

An enormous amount of information is available in the book "Leaving All That Was Dear", through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), and the publication on CD-ROM "Officers and Soldiers Died in the Great War" (ODGW/SDGW) which together form the basis of this site. We have decided to photograph each of the Official War Memorials, Rolls of Honour and monuments in the area and list and investigate those names inscribed upon them. We have discovered some apparent anomalies in the book, at the CWGC, on local memorials and in the ODGW/SDGW CD-ROM - these are listed here as observations. Our long term aim is to correct these as best we can, as the Memorial Scroll urges future generations - "Let those who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten" and we believe that this is the best way to remember them. Those suggested amendments we are preparing for the CWGC/MoD can be seen here.

Accuracy

It is assumed that if a deceased person's name appears on a memorial then those responsible for the erection of that memorial had accepted that the person in question had an association with the town, village, parish or church. The book reveals several instances of soldiers commemorated on memorials who apparently have no association or connections with Cheltenham. The authors of the Book, despite their efforts, did not trace these people and they "still remain either partially or wholly unidentified, a tantalising and frustrating puzzle". These unidentified people are listed here and another long term aim is to try and discover who they were and their connection with Cheltenham. The advent of the 1901 Census Website may be a valuable tool in these investigations as well as the FreeBMD Project (free internet access to the Civil Registration of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales from 1837). Similarly, the Family Research Link has published on the internet the official indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths for England and Wales between 1837 and 2001, including the Overseas Deaths Index which includes officers and servicemen who died in the Great War between 1914 and 1921. The ODGW/SDGW CD-ROM has provided names of locally born people who do not appear on local memorials. These names can be viewed here though we doubt that the reasons for their non-inclusion will ever be discovered.

We have taken every reasonable care to ensure that the information on this website is as accurate as possible. However, should errors or omissions be discovered by visitors to the site, then we ask that we are notified so that corrective action can be taken. Our contact details are below.

Further Investigations

During our research we have discovered some local soldiers who appear not to have been included in the Debt of Honour Register at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and our investigations have included researching these servicemen and, when sufficient documentary evidence has been gathered, to present this evidence to the Commission for their consideration. A list of these servicemen, with others whom we are researching for whatever reason, can be seen here. We have also noticed that some records held in the Debt of Honour Register contain incorrect or inaccurate information and we have informed the CWGC about these records. A full list of those amendments we have suggested can be viewed here.

UK National Inventory of War Memorials

The national inventory of war memorials (UKNIWM) is an Imperial War Museum sponsored research project and was launched on 8th November 2001. The aim of the inventory is to record all physical objects in the UK created or installed to commemorate those who died as a result of conflict. A memorial, which does not include an individual grave, is defined as an object to reunite those who were separated by a conflict, who left their homes, colleagues and friends to serve in a war. We have previously had access to the database at the Imperial War Museum and discovered several apparent omissions and inaccuracies in the entries for the Cheltenham and surrounding area memorials. We will keep a close eye on this to ensure that all memorials erected in this area are correctly recorded on the database. Those memorials currently included on the database have been allocated a reference number, for example, the Cheltenham War Memorial is 20599 and the commemoration to Major Douglas REYNOLDS, VC, on his father's gravestone in St Peters Churchyard Leckhampton is 32312. A summary of memorials and rolls of honour in Cheltenham and surrounding areas incorporating the current UKNIWM reference number can be viewed here.

War Memorials Trust

The authors are members of the War Memorials Trust (formerly the Friends of War Memorials), whose aims are to monitor the condition of War Memorials so that restorative/maintenance action can be taken; to liaise with the responsible bodies to undertake repairs and restoration; to publicise and educate the public about the historical significance of war memorials as part of our national heritage and to inspire young people to cherish their local memorials and the memory of those who sacrificed their lives in the cause of freedom.

The War Memorials Trust can be contacted through their website.

Intended Viewers

The site is intended for researchers, students, military and family historians and anyone who is keen to discover this small but all too significant part of Cheltenham's past.

Searching For Casualties, Regiments and Locations

Those searching for a deceased relative whose surname is known then please go to the Roll of Honour page and begin your search from there. Searches can also be made through the Memorials, Cemeteries and Commemorations pages. A specific Cheltonian, location or regiment can be found by using the site search facility below - enter Surname, or Location or Regiment only. (Please excuse the adverts at the top of the Search Results page - a price we have to pay for the free search engine).

Commonwealth/Empire Forces

Many Cheltonians emigrated to Commonwealth/Empire countries prior to 1914 and enlisted into the forces of that country at the outbreak or during the Great War. A total of 77 Cheltonians who made the ultimate sacrifice whilst serving in the forces of the country they emigrated to are listed here, with 22 professional officers serving with the Indian Army. These can usually be traced through the many official search facilities for British and Commonwealth casualties. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, which lists burial or commemoration details for those who died in both world wars can be interrogated here. Details regarding Australian casualties can be found in the official Australian War Memorial website, and those for Canadian servicemen are listed in the National Archives of Canada and the Canadian Veterans Affairs Office. Official lists of New Zealand casualties can be seen here, and South African casualties are not as yet available for viewing and are in the course of being documented.

Underage Soldiers and Young Sailors

During the immediate period after the declaration of war on the 4th August 1914 many men were inspired by the news, drum-beating and pressure to conform, to enlist. Men joined up for all manner of reasons, including a natural desire to quit a humdrum or arduous job, take a chance of seeing another country, or to escape family or troubles. Many young Cheltonians enlisted whilst under the minimum age (19 years of age, reduced to 18 years in April 1918). Some of these young men (boys) died whilst serving their country and those we are aware of are listed here as well as young lads who served in the Royal Navy as Midshipmen.

Facts and Figures

Many fascinating facts and figures have emerged from our research - though an enormous amount has been gleaned from the book. The most significant fact is that the town lost 43 of its sons on one day, the 25th September 1915, the first day of the Battle of Loos, including 2 who were awarded posthumous Victoria Crosses for gallantry at Loos. These 43 men are commemorated here and the VC winners can be viewed here. A total of 107 Cheltonians and others whose death was the result of service in the Great War are buried in CWGC graves within Cheltenham Cemetery and a further 16 are buried in graves which are not officially recognised as war graves. Some 107 Cheltonians and 16 others are commemorated on the headstones of family or relatives in this cemetery and these are listed here. There are 196 commemorated on family headstones in the 11 local cemeteries and a summary of these can be viewed here. There are 29 who are remembered on commemorative plaques, tablets and stained glass windows in 13 local churches, chapels and other establishments and another 5 have been discovered elsewhere in the UK.

A total of 761 Cheltonians are buried as war casualties in 381 cemeteries throughout the world. 517 are buried in 254 cemeteries in France and 120 are buried in 59 cemeteries in Belgium. 16 Cheltonians are buried in the Etaples Cemetery, France, alone. Full details can be seen here.

639 Cheltonians who were killed in battle and have no known grave, or who were killed or lost at sea, are commemorated on 45 Memorials To The Missing throughout the world. There are 329 commemorations on 15 memorials in France with 138 being listed on the Thiepval Memorial in the Somme area. A further 168 are commemorated on 5 memorials are in Belgium, mostly in the Ypres area. 51 Cheltonians were killed or lost at sea and are commemorated on Naval and other Memorials, a list of these men can be viewed here. 7 Cheltonians were buried at sea.

There are 167 Cheltonians who are known to be buried within the UK and Ireland and a list of these can be seen here. A further 37 are thought to be buried in the UK, mostly in the Cheltenham area and investigations continue to locate these graves.

Images of the Great War

When one thinks of the Great War many images are conjured up. Soldiers on the march covered in mud, trenches, barbed wire, the dead and dying, desolate landscape, artillery in action and its effects, row after row of white headstones, memorials and rolls of honour. Government also produced images - posters of brave young men marching off into the sunlight to fight the good fight. Posters extolling men and women to do national service, in munitions factories and in mines, or to buy war savings certificates. A selection of these official posters, with some battlefield images, can be viewed here.

Timeline

Further facts and figures can be seen from the timeline pages. These pages list, in chronological order, the official date of death of Cheltonians who lost their lives in the war or as a direct result of it.

Honours, Awards and Decorations

Many Cheltonians received honours and awards for bravery in the Great War. Five Cheltonians were awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery, and details of their awards can be viewed here. Those honours and decorations awarded to deceased Cheltonians are recorded against their name in the Roll of Honour pages. A list of medals that were awarded for service in the war, or plaques and scrolls presented to the next of kin of deceased servicemen can be seen here.

Hospitals and Medical Care for Battle Casualties in Cheltenham

During the course of the Great War eight major Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) hospitals were established in Cheltenham. These were primarily set up to deal with military casualties evacuated from the battlefield, through the Army medical evacuation chain, to the UK. Full details of these hospitals can be seen here.

After the War

The Great War officially ended on 31st August 1921. One of the more unfortunate effects of this was that the previous recognition of war casualty status by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission ceased to exist. In effect, all servicemen whose death was attributable to wounds or illness caused by war service were no longer entitled to a recognised grave or official headstone. Many Cheltonians died after this date of wounds or injury caused by war service - they are not officially recognised. Some are listed here, our tribute to these heroes.

Acknowledgements

To Joe Devereux and Graham Sacker for their superb book "Leaving All That Was Dear". To the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for their never ending work to ensure that those who belong there appear in the Debt of Honour Register. To the people in our Acknowledgements page for their help, information and guidance.

Links

In our quest for information and guidance we have visited many Great War and associated websites. A short list of these sites is contained on our links page which can be viewed here, and some of these sites have made a reciprocal link to this site. We feel particularly honoured to be linked within the Cheltenham Borough Council website. Our site was also featured in the July 2003 edition of Family History Monthly.

Contacts

To contact the authors of this website, please e-mail either jimmy@remembering.org.uk or davand@anddav.fsnet.co.uk.

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